"You—!!"
Seeing the third prince before them, reeking of stench and spewing insects and flies, both the first and second princes were stunned. The second prince's face turned iron-blue, twisted with rage.
"You foolish idiot, don't think that just because you've pledged yourself to the God of Pestilence you can do whatever you want!"
As he spoke, the second prince raised the scepter in his hand. At once, howling winds rose, a whirling tornado burst forth, sweeping across the hall, trying to carry everything away—yet at that very moment, a sudden change occurred.
From the first prince's waist, the Warhammer suddenly burst forth in golden flame, its radiance flaring like streaming sparks. It shot into the spinning cyclone, and in the blink of an eye, the scattered embers ignited into a sea of blazing fire, engulfing the entire hall!
The palace instantly turned into a scorching furnace. In just a moment, the relentless flames burned the flies, the foul fumes, and the vile insects into ash. Even the unfortunate guests were not spared—some howled in agony as they were reduced to charred husks, while others turned silently into drifting cinders.
When the fire finally subsided, only the three princes remained barely alive within the great hall.
The first prince lay collapsed on the ground, his body blackened and cracked like burnt wood. The second prince fared a little better—clutching his scepter tightly, he looked around in terror. Though his last-minute spells had saved him from being turned to charcoal, his tattered robes showed how narrow his survival had been.
As for the third prince—he sat on the ground, eyes glazed, giggling stupidly. But his fat body was being roasted by the golden flames, like a bloated hog thrown into a bonfire. The fire mercilessly tore at his skin and muscle, charring his innards. Rotten chunks of meat dropped from him, pus-filled boils swelled across his body and burst, oozing foul yellow liquid that tried to quench the fire—but instead only made the flames burn hotter.
"H-how… how is this possible…"
Staring at the golden flames around him, the second prince's face went pale. He knew very well what this fire was, but… why?!
Thud… thud… thud…
Footsteps echoed. The second prince looked up and saw a troop of golden-armored guards marching forward with spears in hand. They were the Palace Guard, the emperor's forbidden troops. They had been absent for some time, and though the second prince had hoped to sway them to his side, he had not expected to meet them under such circumstances.
And then, among them, he saw a figure that left him in utter disbelief.
"You… you…!!"
"You've truly disappointed me."
Under the protection of the guards, Kevin walked calmly in from the far corridor. He looked at the wrecked banquet hall, at his three sons before him, his face severe and cold. He had shed the disguise of an adventurer; now he wore the robes of the emperor, his presence radiating majesty.
"You… you're still alive?"
The second prince's face contorted in shock. He staggered backward, then suddenly shouted as though grasping at straws.
"N-no… you're an imposter!!"
He raised his hand, pointing at Kevin.
"How dare you! Who gave you the courage to impersonate the emperor! Guards! Arrest him! Quickly!!"
"You're still as foolish as ever."
Kevin shook his head. He raised his hand—and in that instant, the Hammer of the Fire God at the first prince's waist flew free, landing in Kevin's grasp. Golden radiance erupted from the weapon, spreading instantly over Kevin's body. Behind him loomed a colossal phantom—the shadow of the Empire's founding emperor!
"H-how… how can this be…!"
The second prince's expression sank to despair. Sacred Relics of the Empire could only be wielded by those of true imperial blood. As princes, they could indeed use them—but only because the emperor had granted them the right.
In truth, they held only the "right of use," not the "right of ownership." At any moment, if the emperor chose to reclaim them, a single thought was all it took.
So that's it!
At last, the second prince understood.
It was his father who had taken the Gift of the Water God, his father who had orchestrated this entire scheme. He had been toying with them all along!
"My child."
Kevin spoke in a calm, heavy voice, staring at his shaken son.
"Your betrayal does not surprise me. But I still wish to know—why? What gave you the courage to commit patricide and seize the throne?"
"Hah… hahahahaha…"
The second prince laughed softly, almost bitterly.
"Everything I've done… it was for the Empire, Father."
Kevin said nothing, simply staring at him in silence. The second prince spread his arms wide, raising his voice.
"Father, you know it too. The power of Chaos is overwhelming. We can never defeat it. I have seen the future—this world will be destroyed. Our nation, our people, all of it reduced to nothing!"
His voice rose to a shout.
"Then what meaning does our existence have? No one will remember the Empire. Our culture, our faith, everything will be obliterated! Is that truly our destiny? Must we yield to such fate?"
He clenched his fists, teeth grinding.
"I refuse. I will not allow it to end this way. That is why I made my choice."
"Your so-called choice… to become a dog of the dark gods?"
"Yes. And what of it?"
The second prince let out a broken laugh.
"The Changer of Ways may be a dark god of Chaos, but it is not as bloodthirsty as the Blood God, nor as foul and diseased as the Plague God, nor as debased as the Prince of Pleasure. It embodies wisdom and hope. So why not submit to its will? Why not follow where it leads?"
He pointed to the charred corpses of nobles scattered across the banquet hall.
"Father, look! Look at these people! They praised Sigmar with their tongues, yet lived in luxury, schemed and deceived behind closed doors. Did Sigmar ever bring true virtue to this realm? What is their faith worth? They were Sigmar's followers, yet their lives were as corrupt as any cultist's! If this nation is already so rotten beyond salvation, if even Sigmar cannot save it, then why not shed this filthy skin and follow the Changer? At least then the Empire, and its people, will continue to exist! As long as the Changer endures, the Empire shall never perish!!"
He clenched his fists, nearly raving with fervor.
"Don't you see, Father? Everything I've done is for the survival of the Empire! Sigmar cannot deliver us from destruction's shadow. In the end, we must walk our own path!!"
Kevin was silent for a long moment, then sighed softly.
"My foolish child."
He shook his head.
"The moment you hand your fate into another's hands… your choices are no longer your own."
"We never had a choice to begin with, Father."
The second prince smiled bitterly.
"The Empire, the people, everyone's fate is already decided. We only deceive ourselves into thinking we control it. But in truth, we are just chess pieces. No matter how a piece moves, in the end, it can only follow the rules of the board."
With that, he cast aside the Scepter of the Wind God, pulling a gemstone from his robe.
"Whatever you intend, Father, my decision is made! I will offer this city to the Changer of Ways, and the Empire will endure!!"
He roared, and the gem in his hand burst forth with deep blue light. A vast sigil of an eye appeared overhead, radiating crushing magical power that swept across the hall. Even the elite palace guards staggered backward under the overwhelming pressure. Only Kevin stood firm, hammer in hand, watching his son.
But then—something unexpected happened.
The sigil above, symbol of the Changer, began to flicker erratically like a failing lantern. And then, in the next instant—it vanished. The torrent of magic dispersed without a trace, as if it had never existed.
"W-what… what's happening?"
The second prince stared dumbfounded at the gem in his hand. His carefully laid plan had been to use the Dimensional Stone to open a gate and sacrifice the entire capital. Yet suddenly, the power was gone!
It was as though a carriage had been running, only for the fuel tank to suddenly run dry!
Why?! How could this happen?
"You see, my son."
Kevin gripped the warhammer tightly, his voice heavy.
"The moment you gave your fate to another, you lost the right to decide its end."
(End of Chapter)